


Conversations That Precede, Succeed, And Contain Unfortunate Events

by LichLeech



Category: Hunt Down The Freeman (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Nick is the dad to All Those Kids, only implied ships however, this was not my usual writing and it was Difficult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29939307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LichLeech/pseuds/LichLeech
Summary: Mitchell and Adam had been missing since Prospekt blew.
Relationships: Adam (Hunt Down the Freeman)/Nick (Hunt Down the Freeman), Nick (Hunt Down the Freeman)/Mitchell Shephard
Kudos: 3





	Conversations That Precede, Succeed, And Contain Unfortunate Events

Only a few dim lights were on in the mess hall, the faint glow just enough to illuminate the table where Nick sat alone. His hands were clasped in front of him so that he could lean his head on them. He wasn't particularly religious himself. Spiritual, perhaps, but he'd found through his life he'd developed a bit of a distaste for the more organized practices. Still he sometimes found himself falling into the motions he'd been raised with. Regardless, the gesture was moreso out of exhaustion than out of prayer, but he wouldn't let himself sleep yet in case anyone needed him throughout the night. The kids had lost a lot in the attack, and he needed to be there for them.

Mitchell and Adam had been missing since Prospekt blew. Likewise with the entire team Adam had been commanding. All of them were presumed dead, but Nick couldn't be sure. Couldn't be sure until he'd heard back from them. Somehow.

His intermittent dozing was interrupted by soft footsteps stopping just outside the reach of the dim lighting. Probably one of the kids coming to find him, either to report or for whatever comfort he could provide. He sat up and steeled himself. 

"Hey, Nick."

He blinked a few times. He should have recognized that those footsteps were too quiet.

Adam rounded the corner to lean against the wall. He moved and spoke with his usual too-practiced confidence, like he'd been preparing himself long before he entered the room. Nick could make out a slight grin on his half-illuminated face; the shadows hid his eyes. "Miss me?"

Nick let out a sigh. Half relief, half exasperation. "Where have you been?" For all he knew, Adam had just been hiding this whole time for the sake of a cruel prank. For all he knew, this was all a dream and the shorter man wasn't really there.

"Ran into some trouble back at Prospekt." Adam approached the table to sit across from Nick. He reached a hand out across the table. Nick hesitated.

"How did you make it back to the ship?"

Adam paused. "I found my way back." Nick rolled his eyes at the nonanswer. It was in character, at least.

"Where's your team?" Adam's smile faltered.

"Dead. All of them." 

Another sigh. A pained release of the breath he'd been holding and what small amounts of hope he'd kept clinging to. Silence overtook the room again as Nick worked himself up to ask his next question. 

"And Mitchell?" He could barely choke the words out.

After a few seconds of processing, the corners of Adam's mouth quirked up again with far more vigor than before. A cold dread rose up in Nick's bones before Adam could even respond.

"He's dead."

The seconds ticked by.

A minute.

The better part of an hour.

Adam moved before Nick did. Let out a sigh of some unknown emotion, pulled his hand back and stood up to leave. He wasn't looking at Nick, kept his back to him.

"I have some business to take care of. I'll handle things from here. We'll gather the kids tomorrow to tell them. Together." A glance backward, Nick could almost make out _something_ in his eyes. Some emotion he couldn't yet decipher. "You need sleep." Nick's only response was a slow nod as he lowered his hands to the table. 

Adam walked off, determined steps echoing softly back into the darkness he came from. Nick couldn't bring himself to move.


End file.
